Apparatus for salvage



June 3, 1947. oss 2,421,377

APF-ARATUS FOR SALVAGE Filed Nov. 30, 1942 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 HENRYEMMETT' GROSS June 3, 1947. GROSS 2,421,377

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGE HENRY EMMET T GROSS TMW June 3, 1947. I GROSS2,421,377

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGE Filed Nov. 50, 1942 a Sheets-Sheet 5 I 3\Wc/w{o oHENRY EM METT GROSS June3, 1947. GROSS 2,421,377

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGE Filed Nov. 30, 1942 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 HENRY EMMETTGROSS APPARATUS June 3, 1947.

Filed Nov. 30, 1942 Gmss 2,421,377

FOR SALVAGE 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 1114): H You k HENRY EM METT GROSSZJWYMMZ/J June 3, 1947. E. GROSS 2,421,377

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGE a Sheets-Sheet 6' Filed Nov. 30, 1942 I llllr In IIII/I12) J1 won-lot HENRY EMMETT GROSS by V M 1W June 3, 1947.

H. E. GRQSS APPARATUS FOR SALVAGE Filed Nov. 50. 1942 8 Sheets-SheetHENRY EMM ETT GROSS (Ammo 1% June 3, 1941 H E GROSS 2,421,377

APPARATUS FOR SALVAGE Filed Nov. 30, 1942 I, 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 HENRYEMMETT GROSS Patented June 3, 1947 ZAZLBTY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAPPARATUS FOR SALVAGE Henry Emmett Gross, Chicago, 111.

Application November 30, 1942, Serial No. 467,446

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a method and its associated apparatus forsalvage of a sunken vessel. Prior practice for the recovery of articlesfrom the ocean floor has required the employment of divers for operationon the submerged object. An operation of this character is thereforesubject to all of the limitations imposed on it by human limitations. Norecovery can be carried out unless the diver can descend to the wreckthereby eliminating many of the more desirable prizes from recapture.The practice of dragging and grappling is not susceptible tosuiiiciently precise management toenter into consideration.

The present invention does not contemplate the employment of deep-seadivers for establishment of contact with the sunken vessel and is hencefree of the concomitant limitations. Furthermore, the apparatus employedhas no inherent limitations of its own. From the periormance ofanalogous apparatus, it requires only sound engineering practice tocarry out salvage operations at depths deemed fantastic whencontemplated in terms of the prior art. Recovery even of the largestsize sunken vessels from depths of 10,000 or even 15,000 feet, isdependent only on economic considerations.

The invention contemplates first, accurately locating the sunken vesseleither by some of the known means or preferably by methods describedmore particularly below. It is contemplated that there will be adetermination of the latitude, longitude and precise depth and as wellthe manner in which it rests on the ocean floor both as to direction andrelative angle to the vertical.

Next, the salvage apparatus is brought into place above the wreck. Thismay be incorporated in a single vessel or preferably mounted on aframework supported between two or more vessels. In any event, thevessel or vessels are securely anchored in such manner that therelationship of the apparatus to the wreck in rectangular coordinateswill be fixed and constant.

From construction records and the position of the ship as previouslydetermined, a template is prepared and this is lowered to the sunkenship by means of a plurality of strings of rotary drill pipe of the typecommon to the oil drilling industry. Each pipe is provided with amilling cutter and means for securing the string to the sunken vessel.Guided by the template the various strings of pipe are then operated tobe secured to the ship.

By operating the drills through hydraulic rotary tables all of the pipesmay be raised simultaneously just as they were lowered. When broughtnear the surface of the water, the ship may be towed to shallow Water orotherwise disposed of in any suitable manner.

For a fuller understanding of the invention reference should be had tothe drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic front elevation of one embodiment of theinvention, with the drill pipe in'place ready for raising the sunkenvessel.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the apparatus showing the drills inposition just after drilling.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged View of the hydraulic tables used for operatingthe drills.

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the lower portion of the drill stem andthe template showing the manner in which they co-operate.

Fig. 4a is a similar View at right angles thereto as indicated at 4a onFig. 4.

Fig. 4b is a similar view showing the dog housed within the drillcollar.

Fig. 5 shows the drill pipe used.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the sunken vessel raised,ready for towing inshore.

Fig. '7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 showing a modificationsuitable for less diflicult operations.

Figs. 8 to 12 inclusive disclose schematic ar- .,rangements of ships andother apparatus for locating wrecks to be salvaged by the apparatusdisclosed in Figures 1 to '7.

Fig. 8 shows two vessels dragging by means of cable.

Fig. 9 shows an electrical detection device.

Figs. 10 and 11 show enlarged views of alternative heads for the deviceof Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 shows an electronic scanning device and means for carrying thesame.

According to Figs. 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings, the invention employs twoor more ships A, .A of approximately similar construction, provided withsteel trusswork, united to the framework of the two ships so that theresulting structure is secure but not necessarily rigid. The spanbetween the two vessels should accommodate the full height from keel tosuperstructure of the largest ship upon which operations arecontemplated.

Running the length of the'trusswork is the operating floor l'2preferably at least three quarters as long as the wreck. Since theweight of the salvaged ship will be carried by this floor during itselevation from the ocean floor, provision must be made for supportingand transmitting it to the salvage ships. Along the length of the floorare distributed a series of hydraulic rotary drilling tables [4, of thesort commonly employed in the drilling of oil wells by the rotarymethod. The number of tables employed may amount to one hundred or moreand the scheme employed for determining the number required will be setbelow. Each table consists of a large chuck I through which there may bepassed or held securely pipe of diameters up to or inches. By means ofpower applied to the rotational member l6 of the table the pipe may berotated. An indexing means may be provided so that the exact angularposition of the lower end of the drill pipe may be determined.

The drill pipe is also of the type commonly employed in oil welldrilling save that it is not necessary to provide a fluid passagethrough the pipe as is required for oil drilling. Instead, I propose toseal the pipe at each end. This serves two purposes. First, it enablesthe use of relaa tively thin wall pipe without any danger of collapse atworking depth. Pressure in the sea increases .447 pound per square inchfor each foot of depth. Consequently, if a particular length of drillpipe is to be employed at a depth of 10,000 feet, an internal pressureof 4470 pounds will be built up in the section before lowering it intothe sea. for each length of pipe according to its position in thestring.

For the shallower depths of the order of 5000 feet or less the use ofcompressed air is satisfactory. As the amount of pressure necessaryincreases, compressed air becomes appreciably dense and the loss ofbuoyancy makes it advisable to employ a lighter gas preferably hydrogenor helium, especially the non-explosive mixtures thereof. The secondadvantage of sealing each length of pipe. lies in this buoyancy. Byselection of pipe size it is possible to give the pipe just the rightdisplacement enabling it to. pull just as big a load at 10,000 feet asat 10.0. Assuming the use of steel pipe having a density of 7.8 theratio of the. external diameter D and the internal diameter d, aredetermined according to the following equation:

This calculation neglects the weight of the fluid contained in the pipe.If this is substantial, correction must be made. One. of the standarddrill pipes isthat of 85/ O. D. This can behad in .32 wall thickness,weighing approximately 32 pounds perfoot of length; such pipe has justabout the right proportionate dimension. The total tensile strength ofthe standard pipe of this dimension is roughly 500 tons. Apparatusequipped with a hundred drill tables, is thus capable of handling sunkenships up to 25,000 tons if a safety factor of 2 is required. As shown inFigure 5, the pipe 20, consists of individual, lengths 20a, 20b, 20a ofpipe usually 20 to 40 feet each in length provided with upper 2i andlower 22 threaded ends, all of standard dimensions, and preferablyprovided with drill joints 26a and b of the rugged style used in oilfields.

Plates, .24. and 23 are welded in each joint of pipejust clear of thethreaded portion to seal the pipe. In the-top plate, 23, a valve 25 isprovided, enabling any desired pressure to be maintained within thepipe.

'Whenthesunken ship is. located and the manneri-n which it rests upon.the bottom is determined a template is prepared from this in.- formationwith the aid of known construction detailsof. the ship. It iscontemplated that drill- Corresponding pressures can be built up 4 ingwill so far as possible be spaced between the ribs of the ship so thatas to be indicated the ribs will be intact and available to support theship during the raising thereof. The template is provided wtih holes foreach of the drill pipes to be employed and these holes are arranged inthe pattern which it is desired to be followed in sinking the drillsinto the ship. It is not necessary however, to employ precisely thissame pattern on the drilling floor as it is Well known in the art of oildrilling, to alter the direction of drilling as it proceeds. Thetemplate is provided with one or more guides, 32 of appropriate shape,to align the template in proper position over the sunken ship.

Each drill pipe 20 is provided with a corresponding drill collar 34connected thereto by means of interfitting splines 26 and 36 on the pipeand collar respectively. Thus there may be relative vertical movement ofan amount sufiicient to compensate for the rise and fall of waves, say30 feet, while rotation is strictly controlled.

The cutting through the side of the wreck is performed by milling heads38 carried by the drill collars. Pivoted on pin 39 within the collarabove the milling head is a dog 40; duringthe drilling operation this isheld within the collar by means of slidable sleeve 42 which is of toosmall a diameter to slide off the mill at the bottom of the collar. Whenthe mill has penetrated the wall of the vessel and passed intotheinterior of the ship, the sleeve is retained outside allowing the dog toopen outwardly within the vessel. Using the indexing device on the drilltable enables the operator to bring the dog lengthwise of the ship sothat by drilling midway between two ribs, the pull of the drill pipethrough the dog is thus transmitted from the strongest portion of thewreck directly to the drill pipe.

When the initial pull on the drill pipe 20 is applied to raise the wreckits weight is transmitted thru the ribs. 44 to the dog 40 and thencethru pivot pin 39 to drill collar 34 and drill pipe 20. If desired, thepivot pin 39 may be designed to. properly carry the anticipatedv load.However, I prefer to design the .pin relativel much smaller and supportit by means of a relatively light web d5 at the top. of slot 46 whichterminates opposite thefoot ofslot 4| in which dog 4|]. is pivoted.Thusv as the pull is increased, pin 39 breaks thru web 4.5. and the dogthen will cometo rest at the foot of slot 41. thustransmitting theweight on the dog directly to the drill. collar 34 and: thus thru thedrill pipe to the salvage, apparatus.

Since the drill pipes 20. are raised and lowered hydraulically through.the drill tables I4., interconnection of the tables to a common sourceof hydraulic pressure enables a steady, even lifting action. When a fulllength of pipe isv exposed above the drill table, it may be. uncoupledfrom the string and put aside for further use. As soon as the sunkenvessel isv brought close tothe surface it may be desirable to movesalvage apparatus and the vessel inshoretogether, the. vessel beingcarried suspended between the. salvage ships. However, it may provemore. expedient when thevessel. is. brought within the reach. of deepsea diving equipmentv to .use suchmeans to transfer the support of.thevessel to any of the. more conventional means, thus freeing thesalvage'sl'lips for further operation.

According to Figure '7 of the drawing, a. modification is shown wherebyforthe less difiicult operations, a singleship may be employed. In

ship within perhaps say 50 to 100 feet of the surface and then'remove itfor further operations; In order to'provide for the roll of the salvageship in heavy seas, the hydraulic tables are preferably mounted on largerubber blocks as which are sufliciently flexible to take up the twistingstrains set up by the rolling. Less desirable, but effectively, ball andsocket joints may be employed.

For locating the exact position of the sunken ship, there may beemployed first such records as are available which records will usuallyat least provide information as to approximate position. Therefore, ifthe ocean floor in the particular locality is known to be relativelysmooth, a cable may be dragged between two ships as shown in Figure 8.

In Figures 9 to 11 an electrical device is employed consisting of acable 50 provided with electrically conducting leads within its jacket.Suspended from the cable is a sphere, pyramid or other shaped bodyprovided with protuberances 52, 53 acting as terminals for theconducting leads, and insulated from the main body. The leads areconnected within the ship in an electrical circuit having a suitablesource of current, indicating device and balancing resistance so that nosignificant amount of current will flow between the exposed terminals inordinary sea water. contact an electrically conducting surface such as aships side, there will be an additional amount of current flowing andthis will be shown on the indicating device.

For a more thorough examination of the under water scene of action thedevice shown in Figure 12 may best be employed. There may be loweredfrom the salvage or other ship a single string of pipe til, having anunobstructed passage throughout its length and at its lower end awatertight observation sphere 62; the pipe is identical with thatdesignated by reference numeral 20 save that the interior plates 23 and24 are not employed. An illuminating light 64 is arranged to cast itslight downwardly toward the ocean floor, current for the same beingprovided through leads sent down through the open pipes. Through anadjacent window 65, an electronic scanning de- Vice views and transmitsto the surface through additional wires the appearance of thesurrounding ocean floor. By means of the indexing device on the pipesupporting table at sea level, the field of view scanned may be relatedangularly with respect to the salvage vessel so that the wreck may befully oriented thereto.

Having set forth my invention and the best method by which it may becarried out, what I claim is:

1. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby, a plurality of hydraulic drillintables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipe,each string comprising a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each stringbeing provided at its lower end with a milling bit, next above the bit asection provided with a pivoted dog, eccentrically heavy, whereby, whenunconstrained, the dog will normally assume a position at right anglesto said drill pipe and a sleeve constricting said dog and freelyslidable along the drill pipe and a template provided with holes forguiding and spacing the various drill pipes, resting upon said sleevesand thru which the various drill pipes pass.

2. Apparatus for raisingsunken vessels coni- However, when two of theexposed terminals.

prising buoyant means, a drilling floor supported thereby and aplurality of hydraulic drilling tables positioned thereon, each providedwith a string of drill pipe each string comprising a plurality of jointsof drill pipe, each string being provided at its lower end with a millinbit, next above the bit a pl ned drill collar whereby the lower end hasfreedom to rise and fall without being free to rotate independently ofthe drill pipe, said drill collar being provided with a pivoted dog,eccentrically heavy, whereby, when unconstrained, the dog will normallyassume a position at right angles to said drill pipe and a sleeveconstricting said dog and freely slidable along the drill pipe.

3. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipe,each string comprising a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each jointcomprising an elongated tubular member sealed at the ends thereof torender the same buoyant, each string being provided at its lower endwith a milling bit, next above the bit a section provided with a pivoteddog, eccentrically heavy, whereby, when unconstrained, the dog willnormally assume a position at right angles to said drill pipe and asleeve constricting said dog and freely slidable along said drill pipe.

4. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, all of said tables being connected to acommon source of hydraulic fluid whereby said tables may all be actuatedsimultaneously and uniformly each said table being provided with astring'of drill pipe, each strin comprising a plurality of joints ofdrill pipe, each string being provided at its lower end with a millingbit, next above the bit a section provided with a pivoted dog.eccentrically heavy, whereby, when unconstrained, the dog will normallyassume a position at right angles with said drill pipe and a sleeveconstricting said dog and freely slidable along the drill pipe.

5. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipeeach string comprising a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each jointcomprising an elongated tubular member sealed at the ends thereof torender the same buoyant, each string being provided at its lower endwith a milling bit, next above the bit a splined drill collar wherebythe lower end has freedom to rise and fall without being free to rotateindependently of the drill pipe, said drill collar being provided with apivoted dog, eccentrically heavy, whereby, when unconstricted, the dogwill normally assume a position at right angles to said drill pipe and asleeve constricting said dog and freely slidable along the drill pipe.

6. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprisin buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipe,each string comprising a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each stringbeing provided at its lower end with a milling bit, next above the bit asplined drill collar whereby the lower end has freedom to rise and fallwithout bein free to rotate independently of the drill pipe, said drillcollar being provided with a pivoted dog, eccentrically heavy, whereby,when unconstricted, the

and a template provided with holes for" guiding V and spacing thevarious drill pipes, resting upon said. sleeves and thru which thevarious drill pipes pass;

7. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, all of said tables. being connected to acommon source of hydraulic fluid whereby said tables. may all beactuated simultaneously and uniformly, each said table being providedwith a string of drill pipe each string comprising a plurality ofjoints. of drill pipe each joint comprising, an elongated tubular membersealed at the ends thereof to render the same buoyant, each string beingprovided at its lower end with a milling bit, next above the bit asection provided with a pivoted. dog, eccentrically heavy, whereby, whenunconstricted, the dog will normally assume a position at right anglesto said drill pipe, and a sleeve constraining said dog andfreelyslidable along said drill pipe.

8. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, all of said tables being connected to acommon source of hydraulic fluid whereby said tables may all be actuatedsimultaneously and uniformly, each said table being provided with astring of drill pipe, each string comprising a plurality of joints ofdrill pipe, each joint comprising an elongated tubular member sealed atthe ends thereof to render the same buoyant, each string being providedat its lower end with a milling bit, next above the bit a splined drillcollar whereby the lower end has freedom to rise and fall without beingfree to rotate independently of the drill pipe, said drill collar beingprovided with a pivoted dog, eccentrically heavy, whereby, whenunconstricted, the dog will normally assume a position at right anglesto said drill pipe, and a sleeve constraining said dog and freelyslidable along said drill pipe.

9. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby, a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipe,each string comprising, a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each stringbeing provided at its lower end with a milling bit, next above the bit asection provided with a pivoted dog, eccentrical'ly heavy, whereby, whenconstrained, the dog will normally assume a position at right angles tosaid drill pipe and a sleeve constricting said dog and freely slidablealong the drill pipe and a template provided with holes for guiding andspacing the various drill pipes, resting upon said sleeves and throughwhich the various drill pipes pass said template being provided with aplurality of outwardly and downwardly extending guide arms to guide thedrilling heads in contact with the vessel.

10. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels, comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported within said means a plurality of hydraulicdrilling tables, flexible mounting means supporting saidv tables on saidfloor whereby a string of drill pipe supported by the said hydraulictable may swing freely beneath said buoyant means, pendulum-fashion,each said table being provided with a string of drill pipe, each stringprovided with a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each string beingprovided at its lower end with a milling bit, next above the bit asection provided with a pivoted dog, eccentrically heavy, whereby, whenconstrained the dog will normally assume a position at right angles tosaid drill pipe and a sleeve constraining said dog and freely slidablealong the drill pipe.

11. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipeeach string being provided at its lower end with a milling bit, nextabove the bit a section slotted longitudinally to receive a dog, pivotmeans passing transversely thru the slotted section to support the dogto swing freely in said slot and a second pair of longitudinal slotsspaced radially from the first slots and extending from a point a littlebelow the pivot to a point opposite the lower end of the first mentionedslots Whereby only two thin metal webs support the pivot pin wherebywhen a substantial load is placed on the dog as it extends at rightangles to said drill pipe, the webs will be sheared and the dog willfall to the bottom of the first mentioned slot and a sleeve freelyslidable along the drill pipe for confining said dog in its slot.

12. Apparatus for raising sunken vessels comprising buoyant means, adrilling floor supported thereby and a plurality of hydraulic drillingtables positioned thereon, each provided with a string of drill pipeeach string comprising a plurality of joints of drill pipe, each jointcomprising an elongated tubular member provided with screw threads atthe ends thereof and having plates within the ends, sealing the same anda valve in one of said plates, each string being provided at its lowerend with a drilling bit.

HENRY EMMETT GROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references. are of record in the file ofthis patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

